I think if Reed is healthy and playing with Swearinger back there in those special packages, it greatly improves our pass defense against those top QB's. I really like Brooks Reed as the SOLB in this defense. I think he's perfect for that position. I think if Cushing is healthy, we will be fine at ILB. I love the talent on the DL. I think we are really good at corner. I'm worried about the pass rush from the outside. WOLB sets the tone in the outside pass rush, and I am not sure Merciless is that guy. I honestly wish we could re-do that pick, but I'd love to be proven wrong. I hope Jefferson makes the team because I think he could actually be one of the better pass rushers here. Hopefully Trevardo and Mont provide some value as well. But overall, I think the defense is solid. I think Merciless can be a good player, but I'm not sold on him as a weakside pass rusher at all. But overall, I don't think he sucks at all. I think he can be solid. So basically, the areas of most concern on the team for me (WOLB, ILB next to Cush) I think we will at least be solid.

I think defensively, if we remain healthy we can be THE #1 defense in the league. I think we should be top 5 easily.

Offensively, I think we will be very productive once again and I think Brandon Brooks is going to beast. I think Hopkins is going to beast. Al I need is for Schaub to stay consistently good throughout the year. Nothing flashy...Just be good all year long and into the play-offs.

If we can do that I think this team is playing in the superbowl. I think the team is THAT good. Another year of OTJT for Kubiak...Wade getting more toys to play with and getting Cushing back...

Something not talked about in here, but what might be the Achilles heel of the team is the elephant in the room - the special teams.

Can Bullock be the man? Will Shane's leg be last year's version? Or back to his golden years? Returns were very subpar, and coverage was lousy. All in all, the Texans weren't just a little subpar, they were awful, and that's a long way to come back from in one season with the same coach.

Bullock strikes me as boom or bust. I'm not doubting his leg, but K is also a very mental position. When it's 23-23 and no time left on the clock, will he step up mentally, or wilt under the pressure? He is a complete unknown and it bothers me that some kind of competitor wasn't brought in to camp to help push him and give him some comp, especially given the lofty expectations this year.

I would say #1 or #2. I think Denver will finish with the top seed, but that's not a for sure thing. Talent wise, the Texans are the best team.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norg

this will be a weird year in the AFC IMO

and think Finallllyyy both NE and Denver will be just utter dog poo and one team will be like top 10 draft pick bad

but then obvs teams will fill that void

I think Dolphins and like KC will both be like 10+ win teams

and the Texans will face one of them in the div round and they will prob give us a Hell of a battle

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porky

NE and Denver will be dog poo, and one will have a losing record and get a top ten pick?

I'll take that bet.

Denver could be .... really good. IF they can keep Peyton upright. They did improve their WR corps , probably the leagues best group top to bottom. If they can keep Manning upright , they are hard to beat.
But with all those injuries to their OL ... Its highly questionable that they keep him upright .... and he is pretty old and not that fleet of foot. If they don't get their act together up front , Manning might not finish the season.

If he fails to finish the season , they aren't a very good team.

NE .... Its all on Tom Brady. He lost his top three targets .... He'll have to make their replacements look like all pro's. He has the ability to do that ... but its a tall task to ask him to do so for a full season ... then the tougher competition in the playoffs. I could see them @ something like 9-7 / 10-6.

I have to put the Texans above NE at this point .. Not so much above Denver , those two are interchangeable at the top IMO.

if Denver loses Manning then u think they could be colts bad think they would lose manning and there starting Center

but if the Texans lost Schaub Knocks on wood I think they already proved they can win games with TJ yates or Keenum

Denver was winning games before Manning got there & they'll win games after Manning moves on. That's no different than us & Schaub. Sure we can win with Tj, but our win rate is much higher with him than without.

Denver was winning games before Manning got there & they'll win games after Manning moves on. That's no different than us & Schaub. Sure we can win with Tj, but our win rate is much higher with him than without.

Yeah but Denver had a unique QB before Manning arrived (Tebow threatened teams on the ground) .... Now they have Brock Osweiler , Zac Dysert & Ryan Katz behind him.

They don't have Manning under center , they might not win a game with the rest of that group. That makes those injuries on their OL critical.

The Texans have proven to some extent they can win with Yates .... Denver without Manning .... not so much.

Yeah but Denver had a unique QB before Manning arrived (Tebow threatened teams on the ground) .... Now they have Brock Osweiler , Zac Dysert & Ryan Katz behind him.

They don't have Manning under center , they might not win a game with the rest of that group. That makes those injuries on their OL critical.

The Texans have proven to some extent they can win with Yates .... Denver without Manning .... not so much.

I disagree with this. Tebow may have led some last minute comebacks with his legs, but the 2011 Broncos were more than anything a product of their defense, and it got better last season. I just don't believe it would be that difficult to find a QB serviceable enough to keep them from being a bottom ten scoring team like they were that season. It will be interesting to see how the deal with the loss of Dumervil, but last season they were top 5 in total D, rushing D, passing D, and scoring D.

Manning or no Manning, that defense is going to win them some games.

Also, FWIW, if Osweiler's still around when Peyton decides to hang it up, I think they'll be in good hands.

__________________
Being a D-bag and being factually correct are not in any way mutually exclusive!

Denver was winning games before Manning got there & they'll win games after Manning moves on. That's no different than us & Schaub. Sure we can win with Tj, but our win rate is much higher with him than without.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChampionTexan

I disagree with this. Tebow may have led some last minute comebacks with his legs, but the 2011 Broncos were more than anything a product of their defense, and it got better last season. I just don't believe it would be that difficult to find a QB serviceable enough to keep them from being a bottom ten scoring team like they were that season. It will be interesting to see how the deal with the loss of Dumervil, but last season they were top 5 in total D, rushing D, passing D, and scoring D.

Manning or no Manning, that defense is going to win them some games.

Also, FWIW, if Osweiler's still around when Peyton decides to hang it up, I think they'll be in good hands.

Not taking anything away from their defense, but Denver went 8-8 in 2011. They made the playoffs solely because they played in a crappy division. They weren't winning many games before Manning got there.

To the thread question: I think the Texans are anywhere from 1-3 with the Broncos & Patriots. The Patriots had Houston's number last year so I have them #1. Denver & Baltimore lost some key players to Free Agency, so I have Houston #2, followed by Denver #3. I will probably have the Bengals winning the AFC North, so logic says Bengals at #4.

The key to this entire season is playing in Houston for the AFC title. Denver is a tough place to win historically, thin air and all. New England is another place we don't want to play a winner-take-all game. I think we beat anyone else, home or away. Bengals will be good this year too, but we seem to own them.